Mother & Child Agency
Chelsea Andrews
New York City College of Technology
Community Mental Health 1202
Professor Shepard
April 25, 2012
PART 1: To acquire program-planning skills
A vulnerable population that I am interested in helping often is Teen Pregnancy. The reason why I feel this is a very important and vulnerable population is because the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate and abortion rate in the country. Among this high rate the majority of these teens are Hispanic and African American. I would like to work in an area I am familiar with such as Staten Island specifically Stapleton (10304). This area has the forth highest Teen birth rates in the borough of Staten Island. Therefore I would like to open an agency in this community called Mother & Child, were I would provide resources, sex education, referrals, and support to single teenage mothers. This Agency would be dedicated to the children of teen mothers, soon to be teen mothers and teen mothers. The First floor would be open to everyone, Condoms would be available, pregnancy test, birth control, sex education such as preventing pregnancy, STD’s, HIV, practicing abstinence and enforcing the responsibilities that a teen parent both mother and father will face. The second floor would be a Day Care that is open 7am to 7pm.This day care would be available to the residence of 10304. The available way to pay for this day care would be through HRA or Children’s Services. Most teen mothers are receiving assistance from the government, such as food stamps, Medicaid, and cash assistance. This Day Care would give the mother flexibility to attend/finish school and/ or have a job. I would have enough well trained staff to take on the responsibility of caring for the children. We will always have condoms available for the parent to take once they’ve dropped off the child. The third floor would be a Mini doctor’s office offering prenatal care, pediatrics care and parenting classes/breastfeeding classes to the mothers. Each mother will attend two parenting and breastfeeding classes, before giving birth and after giving birth. The Mothers will be encourages to come back at any time if they want to attend another parenting or breastfeeding class. The nurses there would also provide a Variety of condoms to protect the pregnant mothers from STD’s and HIV. The fourth floor of Mother & Child will be for both pregnant teens and teen mothers. This is where they can get counseling, Referrals, sex educational, and support from staff. Here they will be able to talk about the challenges they face and the barriers that prohibit them from continuing their life sufficiently. I would offer sex education classes to the mothers. To educate them on STD’s, HIV, the use of condoms, and birth control methods. There will be counselors who can assist with helping parents to get into GED programs for the ones who have not completed High School, or Help them with filling out an application to enroll in college. There Also will be assistance with applying for housing or if necessary a mother and children shelter. Computers will be available for parents to use to look for jobs, and create a resumes. Overall and most important the mothers will be given support and encouragement.
PART 2: To learn helping strategies for dealing with vulnerable populations
Some barriers that a teen parent will face are educational, financial, social, physical and emotional challenges. Two of the strongest barriers that I believe teenage mothers will face as a parent are education and financial barriers. Being a teenage mother is a huge responsibility that can sometimes cost or jeopardize a mother her education, if she does not have a support system or plan for completing her education she may not be able to move forward in education. I think it is very important for the parents to get the support they will need from their family, school and community. The support will motivate and able the parents to finish school. The financial barrier is also something that has to be supported by the help of family. Sometimes because being a parent is very time consuming it is hard for the mother to be able to find a job that will work with her school schedule if she is still in school, or work around the child’s day care hours. It is a great advantage to have the support of family who can baby sit. I would encourage the mothers to learn how to manage their time with both school and work. Two transitions that I think can’t be prevented are the Social and Emotional changes they will face being a teen mother. You won’t be able to socialize as much with friends or peers; you will be taking care of your child and attending to their needs most of your time. Sometimes it will be over whelming especially for single teen mothers who will be raising a child by their self. They may feel as If they are alone or think they made a wrong choice by having their child. As a counselor I would offer as much support as I can and I would enforce my client to take control of their situation and life and make the best of their situation.
PART 3: To create a helping network that is responsive to clients’ needs
For client advocacy I would work with my clients at all times to make sure that my teen mothers are receiving access to resources or services that they are entitled to such as having the right type of medical care for their self and there child. For prevention of teen pregnancy I will advocate for there to be free condoms available to all teens in schools, churches, clinics, and other know offices in the area. Together we will identify barriers that my clients face whether they are individual or environmental issues and we will decide how we will overcome them, by making a plan to break them down or confront them. Some self-help options I would advise for this vulnerable population is educational and religious, educational centers, because being a teen mother is very hard but it is most important to pursue an education so that they can make a positive future for both them and their child. Also religious because sometimes it may be against a women’s religion to have a child out of wed-lock and they may need to get with a higher power to help motivate them. Employment centers because it shows the parent the responsibility they now have and if someone is not helping to support the child financially she will now need a job. Also special agencies that deal with problems such as family conflicts, because having a child at a young age can cause stress and issues between the parents and the teenager, counseling is something that can help them both to build a strong family. Some coalition-building I would look into for working together with my organization are Pregnant Teen Help, Planned Parenthood, and the New York Urban League. The reason I pick these three organizations is because they do enforce teen pregnancy prevention, but they also mainly focus on once there is a teen out there with a child, how are we going to help that teen now overcome their barriers, and that’s what my organization will focus on.
PART 4: To develop managerial effectiveness
The skills I have now are I am dependable, I listen, I’m attentive, organized, sympathetic, empathetic, sincere, and encouraging, I’m also a cultural person. I would make sure I conduct a good working relationship with all my clients, all clients would be treated respectfully by me and staff. I will make sure that I meet there needs to the best of my ability and if I can’t meet the needs I will make sure I give the client a well trusted referral to address the problem they need help with. I would be understanding of all my clients and nonjudgmental, being a teen mother is a stressful and sensitive time in a teenager’s life and I would make sure to meet them were there at in there situation and go on from there. I believe to be able to help someone in this vulnerable population through a crisis means being dedicated to that population and genuine to that person. The only skills I believe I will need to develop in the future and to become a more effective manager, is the experience of meeting different mothers with different story’s and learning what it is to be a teen mother from there prospective.
PART 5: To articulate a professional and personal development plan
My program goals are to reduce the rate of teen pregnancies in the Staten Island area of 10304, increase access for teens to be able to obtain contraceptives, increase links between teens and teen pregnancy prevention programs in the community and to educate teens on the out some of being a teen parent. To learn new skills I am going to always be a part of the agency hands on, even though I will be managing the organization I will still make sure I am a part of helping clients. I will always show my clients respect and courtesy and this I believe will show my passion for helping teens and will keep my organization moving forward. I plan to base my agency on the dedication and true love for teen mothers who need assistance, help, support and guidance. To take care of myself I will make sure I am mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared to handle the job of being a counselor and friend to the teen mothers.
